Selective seating controller

ABSTRACT

A method, system, and/or computer program product improve a function of a computer used to make a seat in a venue available to a user. One or more processors retrieve a user profile of a user that is requesting a seat in a venue, where the user profile describes a personal interest of the user. The processor(s) identify another person that shares the personal interest of the user, where the other person is currently seated at a first seat at the venue. The processor(s) identify an unoccupied second seat in proximity to the first seat.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to the field of improving computersystems, and specifically to improving computer systems that provideaccess to seating at a public venue. Still more specifically, thepresent invention relates to improving computer systems that provideaccess to seating at a public venue by an improvement to thearchitecture of such computer systems and the resources that theycontrol.

SUMMARY

A method, system, and/or computer program product improves a function ofa computer system used to make a seat in a venue (e.g., a public venue)available to a user. One or more processors retrieve a user profile of auser that is requesting a seat in a venue, where the user profiledescribes a personal interest of the user. The processor(s) identify another person that shares the personal interest of the user, where theother person is currently seated at a first seat at the venue. Theprocessor(s) identify an unoccupied second seat in proximity to thefirst seat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary system and network in which the presentdisclosure may be implemented;

FIG. 2 illustrates a “Smarter Seating Architecture Overview” used in oneor more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a high-level flow chart of one or more steps performed by oneor more processors and/or other hardware devices according to one ormore embodiments of the present invention to reserve a seat in a venuefor a user;

FIG. 4 is a high-level flow chart of one or more steps performed by oneor more processors and/or other hardware devices according to one ormore embodiments of the present invention to enable a user to locate areserved seat in a venue;

FIG. 5 is a high-level flow chart of one or more steps performed by oneor more processors and/or other hardware devices according to one ormore embodiments of the present invention to enable a user to release apreviously reserved seat in a venue;

FIG. 6 depicts a seat in a venue equipped with a visual indicator and anelectromechanical locking mechanism that support making a seat availableto a particular user in accordance with one or more embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates detail of a modified and novel architecture of a seatcontrolling system in accordance with one or more embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 8 is a high level flow chart of one or more steps performed by oneor more processors and/or other hardware equipment to provideavailability of a seat in a venue to a specific user;

FIG. 9 depicts a cloud computing environment according to an embodimentof the present invention; and

FIG. 10 depicts abstraction model layers of a cloud computer environmentaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product. The computer program product may include a computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, mechanically encoded devices such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like,and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowcharts and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowcharts or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, and combinations ofblocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, can beimplemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform thespecified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purposehardware and computer instructions.

Embodiments of the present invention recognize that targeting, accessingand claiming seats at events (e.g., at public venues such asauditoriums) involving potentially huge crossflows of people tend to bequite challenging, especially if no reservations or group allocationschemes exist, (i.e., a “free for all”). Additionally, preferences forcertain types of seating with certain characteristics such as easy aisleaccess, optimal views and proximity to exits, etc., may drive the questto claim places to be even more hectic than it already normally is. Late(post-start) arrival and/or potentially lowered lighting levelsexacerbate the difficulties in finding suitable seating quickly, andprovision of assistance in such situations (usher, flashlight, etc.)almost always inconveniences or disturbs other attendees.

Additionally, embodiments of the present invention recognize that whenviewing and/or taking pictures or video become priorities around whereto sit, choices may become diminished, and “people factors” such asstandees blocking sight lines play into potential success as well.Further behaviors such as individuals intentionally staggering theirspots so as to avoid sitting by others makes for a veritable “brokenfield” to deal with when someone seeks enough room for themselves andtheir parties.

With reference now to the Figures, and in particular to FIG. 1, there isdepicted a block diagram of an exemplary system and network that may beutilized by and/or in the implementation of the present invention. Someor all of the exemplary architecture, including both depicted hardwareand software, shown for and within computer 101 may be utilized bysoftware deploying server 149 and/or components in the telecom system153 and/or smart phone(s) 155 shown in FIG. 1, and/or the seatcontrolling system 601 shown in FIG. 6, and/or the seat controllingsystem 701 shown in FIG. 7.

Exemplary computer 101 includes a processor 103 that is coupled to asystem bus 105. Processor 103 may utilize one or more processors, eachof which has one or more processor cores. A video adapter 107, whichdrives/supports a display 109 (which in one or more embodiments of thepresent invention is a touch-screen display capable of detecting touchinputs onto the display 109), is also coupled to system bus 105. Systembus 105 is coupled via a bus bridge 111 to an input/output (I/O) bus113. An I/O interface 115 is coupled to I/O bus 113. I/O interface 115affords communication with various I/O devices, including a keyboard117, a mouse 119, a media tray 121 (which may include storage devicessuch as CD-ROM drives, multi-media interfaces, etc.), a transceiver 123(capable of sending and receiving wireless messages, including but notlimited to near field communication (NFC) messages) and external USBport(s) 125. While the format of the ports connected to I/O interface115 may be any known to those skilled in the art of computerarchitecture, in one embodiment some or all of these ports are universalserial bus (USB) ports.

As depicted, computer 101 is able to communicate with a softwaredeploying server 149 and/or other devices/systems such as telecom system153 using a network interface 129. Network interface 129 is a hardwarenetwork interface, such as a network interface card (NIC), etc. Network127 may be an external network such as the Internet, or an internalnetwork such as an Ethernet or a virtual private network (VPN). In oneor more embodiments, network 127 is a wireless network, such as a Wi-Finetwork, a cellular network, etc.

A hard drive interface 131 is also coupled to system bus 105. Hard driveinterface 131 interfaces with a hard drive 133. In one embodiment, harddrive 133 populates a system memory 135, which is also coupled to systembus 105. System memory is defined as a lowest level of volatile memoryin computer 101. This volatile memory includes additional higher levelsof volatile memory (not shown), including, but not limited to, cachememory, registers and buffers. Data that populates system memory 135includes computer 101's operating system (OS) 137 and applicationprograms 143.

OS 137 includes a shell 139, for providing transparent user access toresources such as application programs 143. Generally, shell 139 is aprogram that provides an interpreter and an interface between the userand the operating system. More specifically, shell 139 executes commandsthat are entered into a command line user interface or from a file.Thus, shell 139, also called a command processor, is generally thehighest level of the operating system software hierarchy and serves as acommand interpreter. The shell provides a system prompt, interpretscommands entered by keyboard, mouse, or other user input media, andsends the interpreted command(s) to the appropriate lower levels of theoperating system (e.g., a kernel 141) for processing. While shell 139 isa text-based, line-oriented user interface, the present invention willequally well support other user interface modes, such as graphical,voice, gestural, etc.

As depicted, OS 137 also includes kernel 141, which includes lowerlevels of functionality for OS 137, including providing essentialservices required by other parts of OS 137 and application programs 143,including memory management, process and task management, diskmanagement, and mouse and keyboard management.

Application programs 143 include a renderer, shown in exemplary manneras a browser 145. Browser 145 includes program modules and instructionsenabling a world wide web (WWW) client (i.e., computer 101) to send andreceive network messages to the Internet using hypertext transferprotocol (HTTP) messaging, thus enabling communication with softwaredeploying server 149 and other systems.

Application programs 143 in computer 101's system memory (as well assoftware deploying server 149's system memory) also include Logic forSelectively Making Seats Available (LSMSA) 147. LSMSA 147 includes codefor implementing the processes described below, including thosedescribed in FIGS. 2-8. In one embodiment, computer 101 is able todownload LSMSA 147 from software deploying server 149, including on anon-demand basis, wherein the code in LSMSA 147 is not downloaded untilneeded for execution. In one embodiment of the present invention,software deploying server 149 performs all of the functions associatedwith the present invention (including execution of LSMSA 147), thusfreeing computer 101 from having to use its own internal computingresources to execute LSMSA 147.

Also within computer 101 is a location sensor 151, which is able todetect the physical location of computer 101. For example, location andpositioning sensor 151 may incorporate global positioning system (GPS)sensors that identify the geophysical location of computers usingsignals from an array of space-based GPS satellites. Furthermore,location sensor 151 may use the distance and angular orientation betweenany two electronic transceivers (e.g., by detecting Doppler shifts,signal bounce-back timing, etc.) to detect the location and distancefrom one electronic device to another electronic device.

Computer 101 is also able to communicate with an enterprise network,such as a telecom (telecommunications) system 153. Examples of telecomsystems include, but are not limited to, a digital subscriber line (DSL)phone line, a cellular phone system, a Voice over Internet Protocol(VoIP) telecommunications system, a hardware-based private branchexchange (PBX) phone system, etc. Telecom system 153 provides cellularcommunication to cell phones, such as the depicted smart phone(s) 155,which are capable of not only sending and receiving cellular phonecalls, but also are capable of executing software applications andperforming other software processing actions.

Computer 101 is also able to access a seat locking mechanism 157, whichselectively locks a seat in an open (i.e., lower portion of the seat isfolded down to allow the user to sit in the seat) or closed (i.e., thelower portion of the seat is raised, thereby preventing a user fromsitting in the seat) position.

The hardware elements depicted in computer 101 are not intended to beexhaustive, but rather are representative to highlight essentialcomponents required by the present invention. For instance, computer 101may include alternate memory storage devices such as magnetic cassettes,digital versatile disks (DVDs), Bernoulli cartridges, and the like.These and other variations are intended to be within the spirit andscope of the present invention.

As described herein, one or more embodiments of the present inventionuse data analytics (as conducted on data gathered via automatic sensingas well as via personal profile information, etc.) to generate real-timeseating recommendations that take into account personal characteristics,tastes, and desires (e.g., need for special need facilities, enhancedwidth, extended leg room, quick access or egress, improved soundreception and/or ability for video capture) as well as current state andreal-time information about the populations inhabiting the (seating)resource pool being competed for (i.e., for data analytics withreference to compatibility with “potential neighbors”).

The present invention takes into account factors driving and affectingthe choices made for seat and space allocation that end up being“smarter”, primarily due to enhanced information access and metadataleading to higher suitability based on individual personalcharacteristics, tastes, and even whims. Acquisition of such informationcan come through automated sensing (e.g., from biometric sensors thatmay be worn by a user, or that may be incorporated into an electronicdevice, such as a smart phone) and integration of historical data(including personal profile contents), while refinement of it andidentification of significant features can be achieved by appropriateanalytical processing. Additionally, the analytics undertaken mayinclude access to and leverage of current state and real-timeinformation about the populations inhabiting the resource pool beingcompeted for. This latter point can drive better likelihoods forindividual satisfaction with placements and compatibility with thosesurrounding, due to common interests, profiles, etc.

It is the leverage of advanced insight coming from various data, whethersensed, interpolated or otherwise external and relevant, combined withinnovative “marketplace disciplines” employed to access and lockphysical resources, that together make various improvements over theprior art as disclosed by the present invention in one or moreembodiments.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a system is able todigitally map and pursue access to and user claiming of various types ofseating without hoarding. This becomes attractive for solving some orall of the previously-discussed difficulties. Mobile devices (e.g.,smart phones) may be prime target platforms for any personalseat-finding and allocation solution, as being able to physically moveinto a candidate seating area while receiving real-time availabilityupdates would be most advantageous. However, even a non-portable/mobileimplementation is practical as well, as long as a fair remoterequest/allocation/enforcement scheme is put in place for seating thatis “called for” and then “traveled to”. These approaches differ fromtraditional reserved seating, in that they involve honored and enforcedallocations from a “resource pool” in a dynamic, possibly evenlast-minute fashion, with equal access for all applicable users.

Along with digital mapping of what is available comes, in variousembodiments of the present invention, a leverage of metadata aboutseating (i.e., recognition and alternate display modes for alternativessuch as special need facilities, those with enhanced width, leg room oramenities, and even places optimized for alternative use scenarios suchas quick access or egress, sound reception and/or video capture).Further, analysis and leverage of characteristic data such as for“potential neighbors” in a given area may come from customer profileinformation or even social media, thereby offering chances for seatingchoices near and/or among people who may be “compatible” according totheir profile information.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, some or all ofthese features combine to allow for real-time seating recommendationsgenerated for the individual and/or their party, updated continuously asavailability changes during the run-up to and commencement of a givenevent. For the case in which mobile application access is being used,either for claiming seating or merely maintaining status for thatalready claimed earlier, geolocation techniques can help with leading auser to the target seat, which may be equipped with its own signaling(e.g., an embedded light flashing) for use when the “owning” mobile appcomes into close proximity of that target seat.

Furthermore, and in one or more embodiments of the present invention,seating offered as allocation candidates to a given application userwill depend on their level of entitlement or where applicable, purchase.

For the challenges encountered in taking pictures or video no matterwhere one sits, subscriptions to photo and video streams coming from thevenue or vendors with best vantage points may be opted-into, whetherfree or for charge.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, implementation ofan enhanced and dynamic resource reservation and claiming solution forvenue seating uses an inclusion of innovative end user interfaces,algorithms for reconciliation of the desired versus the available, andaccess to the current state and advanced characteristic data used todrive analytics for decision making, inference discovery, andrecommendation generation.

FIG. 2 presents a high-level smarter seating architecture overview 200,depicting the various functions to be delivered by consumer device,software and persistence components within the proposed invention. Thefunctions delivered through components inferred from the above can beconsidered to fall into four “tiers” corresponding to end user clients(User), information aggregation (Presentation), algorithms and datamanipulation (Application), and data collection and organization(Persistence). Each function shown is treated below with a correspondingshort description for clarity of purpose.

User Tier—Mobile and Web Clients for All Roles

Attendees are customers for a given event (or for that matter, anythingrequiring organized and designated seating or space allocations). As themain beneficiaries of the intelligence and convenience delivered by theproposed invention, Attendees require the most innovation and ease ofuse related to end user interfaces. Additionally, reasonable support forand delivery of choices made by Attendees are fundamental “promises”that must be kept by any “smart” seat/space (or generally any other“competitive or scarce resource”) allocation scheme.

Venue Administration automated systems play roles as users andcooperatives with any “smart” seat/space/service allocation approach, astheir responsibilities go beyond the consumer to comprise safety,maintenance and security, among other “infrastructural” provisions.

Complementary marketers such as Secondary Ticket Providers potentiallybecome “players” that figure in the same landscape occupied by atechnology-enabled seat, etc. allocation mechanism as proposed here.Example embodiments for the present invention may include “hybrid” spacesales environments in which both available seating for general admissionas well as available up-sell purchases are offered. The dynamic natureof such an arrangement brings with it precise and potentiallyhigh-performance transactional needs around synchronization betweensystems tracking and issuing availability and those selling it at thesame time.

The potential for cross- and up-selling of items and services related toattendance within a venue opens a door for Concierge Services and theirlike to require access to and information coming from a “smart” seatingavailability solution. Needs around provision of catalogs, offerings andpricing as delivered to customers (Attendees) may couple with those fororder tracking, transactions and fulfillment so that comprehensivecustomer experience handling may be contained and remain within the“smart” system. Metadata around seating characteristics and customeruptake may potentially contribute to “tailoring” of services offered tothe various types of clientele present.

Presentation Tier—Services and Tailoring for Mobile and Web Clients

Facilities for Metadata Access drive the surfacing and potentialfiltering of details associated with particular locations,accommodations and amenities available from within the offered/managed“pool of resources”. While of utility to Attendees, these same dataretrievals may have usefulness for additional client functions such asthe Secondary Ticket Providers and Concierge Services.

Real-time Visibility into floor status and seating patterns may benefitthe Venue Administration function, but may also assist the other UserTier roles previously detailed. Attendees may leverage visual clues toaid placements of seating requests, while Secondary Ticket Providers maytarget under-subscribed areas (verified visually) for “flash sales” oflast-minute reserved seats. Concierge Services may target the inverse,looking for popular locations potentially more receptive to value-add orconvenience offerings.

In any “hybrid” or mixed freely-available/for sale environmentpertaining to what is “reserved” space, Class & Reservation Supportfunctions may need to ensure continuous and accurate availabilitystatuses, taking into account provision of different levels of access topotentially different levels of admission. All User Tier roles are seento benefit from the “master allocation” views available here.

Fulfillment systems may support various transactions (cataloging,ordering, order status) and subsequent deliveries of collateral orservices, ranging from last-minute reserved ticket sales (SecondaryTicket Providers, ultimately to Attendees) to amenity orders(potentially served by even Venue Administration) to otherconvenience/experience-enhancing offerings (Concierge Services).

Application Tier—Data Aggregation, Analytics, Refinement and Expression

Recommendation engines play roles primarily benefiting Attendees, butmay also facilitate the operations of Secondary Ticket Providers, as thevarious metadata pertaining to desirability/availability of certainareas (great for photos, superior sound, etc.) get factored into whatmay become no- or extra-cost possibilities. Concierge Services may beinvolved as well, potentially offering to find, isolate and reserveareas based on expressed user desires, thereby removing the “compete”burden from individual customers. Optimization functions may ferret outprime seating from still-available seating, taking into accountlocation-dependent characteristics as well as individual userpreferences, the latter coming from on-hand profile information orperhaps ad-hoc inputs. Social media, whether resolved to the personallevel or not, may contribute previous sentiment and feedback pertainingto venue and specific location attributes to help steer optimizationdecisions and ultimately, seating recommendations.

Correlation systems perform the necessary operations around bringing allof the previously-discussed information together to make available theviews exploited by the various roles in the User and Presentation Tiers.

Sensing functions (e.g., cameras providing real-time streaming images)may support and drive provision of the information brought to bear bythe previously-discussed Real-time Visibility facility, but may alsopotentially be key to Class & Reservation Support (“what is” versus“what's tracked”) and Fulfillment (verification).

Reservations are where “tracking meets reality”, and where enforcementof what has been allocated (automated or otherwise) meets the physical.As the “master arbiter”, this componentry may drive other functions suchas Class & Reservation Support and Fulfillment, reaching further towardwhat gets eventually presented to the User Tier roles.

Persistence Tier—Data Acquisition, Maintenance and Management

A repository for venue details may hold Metadata ranging fromdimensions, pathways, fire exits, convenience facilities and provisionof utilities all the way to the aforementioned characteristics aroundsight lines and lighting (photo opportunities), acoustics andpotentially things like seat width, spacing, etc.

Status regarding resources under allocation (such as seating) ispersisted in a real-time, consistent and recoverable manner, andincludes support for locking/unlocking, whether temporary (duringreservation transactions) or permanent (reserved).

Leverage of Marketplaces (electronic or otherwise) by entities such asSecondary Ticket Providers or even other “outsiders” is provided for,and information integrations necessary to keep their operationsconsistent and in line with the primary allocation schemes are providedby sensors, databases, etc.

Customer Relationship Management is part of any scheme involvingconsumers and/or vendors/suppliers. Thus, support for customizedprofiles and customer track records influencing treatments and provisionof offerings (including marketing) help drive virtually all up-linesystems previously described here.

Social media and associated “Buzz” play roles today around theperception held for and reception given to the events, offerings and“brands” put forth for organized gatherings even beyond those of anentertainment nature. Capture and leverage of pertinent interest andopinion trending information may benefit higher-level functionspreviously discussed here, including those for Secondary TicketProviders (pricing, etc.) and Concierge Services as examples.

With reference now to FIGS. 3-5, exemplary sets of Use Cases illustratevalue propositions and workings of the present invention from theperspective of an event Attendee. The information in these figures isbased on the following assumptions:

1) Continuous sensing keeps seating availability current within theStatus persistence function.

2) Mobile-device-resident and Web applications give all user rolesqualified access to the real-time seating availability “picture”.

3) User seating preferences may be input and ranked either throughstored individual profile information or ad-hoc entries.

4) Correlation and optimization functions recommend best availableseating based on all characteristic and preference input, and thensupport temporary resource locking to allow user committal (or not).

5) Recommendation generation goes far beyond seating characteristicmatching by taking into account current attendee location(s), activeselling of the same “pool” taking place simultaneously, and evenaudience group compatibility (same age ranges, generations, generalphilosophical views, etc.).

6) Social media aspects may drive the aforementioned audiencecompatibility matching via gathering of accessibility-granted individualattributes around sports interests, political affiliations/views,professional associations, volunteer participation, and hobbies, etc.

Thus, with reference to FIG. 3, assume that the Attendee is performing(or has performed) an online search for a seat and is making (or hasmade) a reservation for that seat.

After initiator block 301, a user requests a current venue seating mapfrom a remote or on-premises platform, (i.e., desktop/laptop,kiosk/station, personal phone/tablet), as described in block 303.

As shown in block 305, the current seating map is formatted to bedisplayed with real-time and sensed updates. Seating statuses range fromavailable to held to reserved to occupied.

As shown in block 307, per-seating metadata is superimposed on thedisplay, showing such information as front row, extra legroom, aisleproximity, social profile compatibility, video/audio advantage, etc.

As shown in block 309, analytics-driven recommendations are highlighted(e.g., seat group contiguity, placement preferences from storedprofiles, “neighbor” compatibility, competing sales patterns,upsell/cross-sell (premium seating, video/audio) possibilities).

As described in block 311, the seating selection is made via directinteraction with the displayed map and/or a form.

As described in query block 313, an availability check returnssuccessful hold or loss (return to map, potentially split requestedlocations).

As described in block 315, seating is mapped as held, with a warning tomove to reserved/occupied or suffer release on timeout. At-seatingindicators (e.g., lighting on the seat) reflect a hold status on theseat for a particular user.

As described in block 317, turn-by-turn directions and progress toavailable seating are sent to a user mobile device (e.g., a smart phone)via location tracking provided by the user mobile device.

As described in query block 319, if the user arrives at the particularseat within a predetermined amount of time, then the seat is reservedvia deposit or occupied, and the map is adjusted to show this event(block 321).

As described in block 323, the seat reservation or occupancy presentsthe user with an opportunity for consensual sharing of socialcompatibility profile data, i.e., “who's near me?”.

Returning to query block 319, if the user does not arrive at thedesignated seat in time, then that seat is released, as described inblock 325. The released seat is then reflected in an updated digitalmap, which is sent to one or more users.

The flow chart of FIG. 3 ends at terminator block 327.

With reference now to FIG. 4, a flow-chart depicting steps performed byone or more processes for handling an on-premises ad hoc claim (e.g.,where the user dynamically chooses where to sit after arriving at thevenue) is presented.

After initiator block 402, the at-venue user locates available seatingvia an online venue map or physically observes seating indicated asavailable (block 404).

As indicated in query block 406, the user optionally requeststurn-by-turn directions to or simply proceeds to targeted seating.

If so, then such directions are sent to the user (block 408) and theuser occupies the seating (still indicated available) without furtherinteraction with map, system, etc. (block 410).

As described in block 412, a sensed occupancy (e.g., as detected bypressure sensors within the seat) changes at-seating indicators andmapped status to reflect this seat state change (i.e., the user issitting in it).

The flow-chart in FIG. 4 ends at terminator block 414.

With reference now to FIG. 5, a high-level flow-chart of one or moresteps performed by one or more processors and/or other hardware devicesto allow a user to release a reservation for a seat is presented.

After initiator block 501, a user makes an on- or off-premises requestfor a current venue seating map by using an appropriate device, (i.e.,desktop/laptop, kiosk/station, phone/tablet), as described in block 503.

As shown in block 505, the venue seating map is formatted for anddisplayed on a requesting device.

As shown in query block 507, the user may seek to improve the locationof his reserved seat or release present seating, as described in block509.

As described in block 511, the user identifies his/her present seating(reserved or occupied) on the digital map, and releases his/her currentseating (and optionally requests a new seating via map interface). Inone or more embodiments of the present invention, there is a delayedrelease of the old reservation/occupancy of the seat until a newreservation/occupancy of a new seat goes through. That is, as shown inblocks 515 through 519, before the user actually releases an oldreservation, a new seat is selected (block 515), confirmation is madethat the new seat is available (query block 517), and the map is revisedupon the new reservation going through (block 519). Thereafter, the useris given directions to the new seat (block 521).

The flow-chart ends at terminator block 513.

In various embodiments of the present invention, any seating taken byconfirmed online reservation, purchase, or ad-hoc claiming (Occupied),remains in at least a Reserved status until explicitly released, therebysupporting an occupant's coming and going without fear of seat loss. Anoptional embodiment may have a timeout value applied and releases a seatas Available if an occupant leaves the seat for an extended amount oftime (unless the absence is due to a personal emergency, as reported bythe user on his/her smart phone to the managing system). If the userfails to explain to the system why he/she has left his/her seat, thenthe seat will be reopened/reallocated for use by another user.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, sensing and/orsurveillance is combined with programmatic tracking in order to provideas clear a “reality” picture as possible, thereby supporting conflictresolution and enforcement of good manners and fair play by venue ushersand/or security.

Although the Attendee role has been focused upon in the above, it is tobe understood that technological devices perform the actual featuresdescribed herein.

As described herein, the present invention takes into account factorsdriving and affecting the choices made for seat and space allocationthat end up being “smarter”, primarily due to enhanced informationaccess and metadata leading to higher suitability based on individualpersonal characteristics, tastes, and even whims. Acquisition of suchinformation can come through automated sensing and integration ofhistorical data (including personal profile contents), while refinementof it and identification of significant features can be achieved byappropriate analytical processing. Additionally, the analyticsundertaken may include access to and leverage of current state andreal-time information about the populations inhabiting the resource poolbeing competed for. This helps drive better likelihoods for individualsatisfaction with placements and compatibility with those surrounding,due to common interests, education levels, etc.

Thus, consider now FIG. 6, which depicts a user 602 reserving and/orsearching for his reserved seat 604. As described herein, the user isable to use his smart phone 655 to reserve seat 604, and to then usephone 655 to display turn-by-turn directions or digital map of the venueto reach seat 604 that he has reserved. Such direction/map is sent by aseat controlling system 601, which is able to communicate with phone655.

Phone 655 may also provide biometric sensor functions. For example,assume that user 602 has a neurological illness that makes walkingextended distances very difficult. Assume further that phone 655 hassensors that identify an acute condition (caused by the neurologicalillness) that makes walking to a reserved seat in an upper balconydifficult for user 602. As such, the biometric sensor (e.g., thatdetects muscular tremors, shortness of breath, etc. using sound sensors,vibration sensors, etc.) in phone 655 will change the reservation fromseat 604 (in the upper balcony) to another seat (not depicted) that iscloser (e.g., near the current location of user 602). While suchbiometrics sensors are described as being integrated into phone 655,they may also be dedicated biometric sensors (e.g., a heart monitor—notshown) that is worn by the user 602).

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, seat controllingsystem 601 physically configures seat 604 in order to make it accessibleto user 602. For example, assume that seat 604 has an electromechanicallocking mechanism 608, which selectively locks folding cushion 610 inseat 604 in an up position (as depicted), such that seat 604 cannot beused, or in an unlocked position (not depicted), such that the user 602can push down the folding cushion 610 in order to sit on it. Forexample, electromechanical locking mechanism 608 may include a receiverthat receives a signal from seat controlling system 601. This signal maydirect an electromagnetic actuator, or any other mechanical devicecapable of selectively locking the position (up or down) of foldingcushion 610 by repositioning a locking feature (e.g., a bar, a ratchet,etc.) that selectively restricts movement of the folding cushion 610.That is, when the seat 604 is reserved, an electric current is suppliedthat enables movement of a magnetic rod, bar, etc., or other mechanisminto position to restrict folding cushion 610 from freely moving into anopen position. When the electric current is removed, the electromagneticactuator is turned off, the locking feature moves to an unlockedposition, and the folding cushion 610 is no longer restricted.

Similarly, seat controlling system 601 can turn on a light such asindicator 606 under various conditions, such as when seat 604 isavailable to be reserved; when user 602 is within a certain proximity ofseat 604; when user 602 is outside a certain proximity of seat 604; whenthe electromechanical locking mechanism 608 on seat 604 has locked thefolding cushion 610 in the upright position; when the electromechanicallocking mechanism 608 on seat 604 has unlocked the folding cushion 610such that it can be put into the down position for sitting thereupon,etc.

With reference now to FIG. 7, in one or more embodiments of the presentinvention seat controlling system 701 (analogous to seat controllingsystem 601 shown in FIG. 6) includes a seat control storage device 703,which is dedicated to the exclusive use of seat 704 (analogous to seat604 shown in FIG. 6). Seat control storage device 703 is a high speedsmall memory (e.g., a register, small cache, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 7, assume that a database 711 in (or accessible to,e.g., via a cloud of remote resources) seat controlling system 701 hasprofiles 705 a-705 h for Users A-H. Each of the profiles 705 a-705 hincludes information about any seating preferences, medical conditions,current location, seat reservation status, etc. of the correspondingUsers A-H. Assume now that User D has reserved seat 704. Thus, userprofile 705 d associated with User D is stored in the seat controlstorage device 703, along with seat profile 709 that identifies thelocation, price, reservation status, and/or physical features ofreserved seat 704. The seat controlling system 701 retrieves a seatprofile 709 from seat 704 (e.g., as a unique identifier for seat 704).Seat controlling system 701 thus reads the user profile 705 d and theseat profile 709 from the seat control storage device 703, in order tosend a signal from transceiver 723 to the user telecommunication device755 (analogous to the phone 655 held by user 602 in FIG. 6) that 1)informs User D that he has reserved seat 704, and/or 2) provides User Dwith directions to seat 704. This provides a technological improvementto seat controlling system 701 over the prior art in that transceiver723 is able to send information based on user profile 705 d and seatprofile 709 that is stored in the high-speed small seat control storagedevice 703, rather than pulling this information from the larger/slowerdatabase 711 (e.g., which may be from hard drive 133 shown in FIG. 1).This results in a faster system for reserving seats and/or providingdirections to such seats.

With reference now to FIG. 8, a high level flow chart of one or moresteps performed by one or more processors and/or other hardwareequipment to provide availability of a seat in a venue to a specificuser is presented.

After initiator block 802, one or more processors (e.g., processor 103when part of seat controlling system 601 shown in FIG. 6) receive arequest (e.g., from phone 655 shown in FIG. 6) for a seat (e.g., seat604) at a venue from a user (e.g., user 602), as described in block 804.

As described in block 806, the processor(s) retrieve a user profile(e.g., profile 705 d shown in FIG. 7) of the user, as well as a seatprofile (e.g., seat profile 709 shown in FIG. 7) of the seat, asdescribed in block 808.

The processor(s) then match (to a predefined matching threshold)features in the user profile to features in the seat profile, asdescribed in block 810.

As depicted in block 812, in response to the features in the userprofile matching the features in the seat profile, the processor(s)store the user profile and the seat profile in a seat control storagedevice (e.g., seat control storage device 703) that is solely dedicatedto the seat.

As described in block 814, the processor(s) then send a signal to anelectronic device, directing the user to the seat that is identified inthe seat control storage device. As described herein, the user isidentified by the user profile in the seat control storage device, andthe seat is identified by the seat profile in the seat control storagedevice.

The flow chart in FIG. 8 ends at terminator block 816.

In an embodiment of the present invention, in response to the featuresin the user profile matching the features in the seat profile, theprocessor(s), using transceiver 723 shown in FIG. 7, selectivelytransmit a signal to an electromechanical locking mechanism (e.g.,electromechanical locking mechanism 608 shown in FIG. 6) to unlock afolding cushion on the seat.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the processor(s) receive apositioning signal (e.g., from location sensor 151 shown in FIG. 1 whenincorporated into phone 655 shown in FIG. 6) indicating a real-timelocation of the user. In response to the positioning signal indicatingthat the user is within a predetermined proximity of the seat, theprocessor(s) transmit (via transceiver 723 shown in FIG. 7) the signalto the electromechanical locking mechanism to unlock the folding cushionon the seat.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the processor(s) receive apositioning signal indicating a real-time location of the user. Inresponse to the positioning signal indicating that the user is outsideof a predetermined proximity of the seat, the processor(s) blocktransmission of the signal to the electromechanical locking mechanismthat would have unlocked the folding cushion on the seat, therebykeeping the folding cushion 610 shown in FIG. 6 in the locked upright(and therefor unusable) position.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the processor(s) transmit(via transceiver 723 shown in FIG. 7) directions to the user thatprovide a turn-by-turn set of instructions to direct the user from acurrent location of the user (as determined by the location sensor 151shown in FIG. 1 when incorporated into phone 655 shown in FIG. 6) to alocation of the seat.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the processor(s) transmit adigital map to the user, where the digital map depicts a location of theseat relative to a current location of the user.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the processor(s) receive apositioning signal indicating a real-time location of the user, and inresponse to the positioning signal indicating that the user is within apredetermined proximity of the seat, activate a visual indicator (e.g.,indicator 606 shown in FIG. 6) on the seat, where the visual indicatorindicates that the seat is reserved for and available to the user.

The present invention may be implemented in one or more embodimentsusing cloud computing. Nonetheless, it is understood in advance thatalthough this disclosure includes a detailed description on cloudcomputing, implementation of the teachings recited herein are notlimited to a cloud computing environment. Rather, embodiments of thepresent invention are capable of being implemented in conjunction withany other type of computing environment now known or later developed.

Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient,on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computingresources (e.g. networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing,memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that canbe rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort orinteraction with a provider of the service. This cloud model may includeat least five characteristics, at least three service models, and atleast four deployment models.

Characteristics are as follows:

On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally provisioncomputing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, asneeded automatically without requiring human interaction with theservice's provider.

Broad network access: capabilities are available over a network andaccessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneousthin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).

Resource pooling: the provider's computing resources are pooled to servemultiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physicaland virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according todemand. There is a sense of location independence in that the consumergenerally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of theprovided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher levelof abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter).

Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and elasticallyprovisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out andrapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilitiesavailable for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can bepurchased in any quantity at any time.

Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and optimizeresource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level ofabstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage,processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can bemonitored, controlled, and reported providing transparency for both theprovider and consumer of the utilized service.

Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto use the provider's applications running on a cloud infrastructure.The applications are accessible from various client devices through athin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based e-mail).The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloudinfrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage,or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exceptionof limited user-specific application configuration settings.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquiredapplications created using programming languages and tools supported bythe provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure including networks, servers, operating systems, orstorage, but has control over the deployed applications and possiblyapplication hosting environment configurations.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided to theconsumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and otherfundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy andrun arbitrary software, which can include operating systems andapplications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage,deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networkingcomponents (e.g., host firewalls).

Deployment Models are as follows:

Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for anorganization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party andmay exist on-premises or off-premises.

Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by severalorganizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns(e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and complianceconsiderations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third partyand may exist on-premises or off-premises.

Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to the generalpublic or a large industry group and is owned by an organization sellingcloud services.

Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or moreclouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities butare bound together by standardized or proprietary technology thatenables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting forload-balancing between clouds).

A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a focus onstatelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability.At the heart of cloud computing is an infrastructure comprising anetwork of interconnected nodes.

Referring now to FIG. 9, illustrative cloud computing environment 50 isdepicted. As shown, cloud computing environment 50 comprises one or morecloud computing nodes 10 with which local computing devices used bycloud consumers, such as, for example, personal digital assistant (PDA)or cellular telephone 54A, desktop computer 54B, laptop computer 54C,and/or automobile computer system 54N may communicate. Nodes 10 maycommunicate with one another. They may be grouped (not shown) physicallyor virtually, in one or more networks, such as Private, Community,Public, or Hybrid clouds as described hereinabove, or a combinationthereof. This allows cloud computing environment 50 to offerinfrastructure, platforms and/or software as services for which a cloudconsumer does not need to maintain resources on a local computingdevice. It is understood that the types of computing devices 54A-54Nshown in FIG. 9 are intended to be illustrative only and that computingnodes 10 and cloud computing environment 50 can communicate with anytype of computerized device over any type of network and/or networkaddressable connection (e.g., using a web browser).

Referring now to FIG. 10, a set of functional abstraction layersprovided by cloud computing environment 50 (FIG. 9) is shown. It shouldbe understood in advance that the components, layers, and functionsshown in FIG. 10 are intended to be illustrative only and embodiments ofthe invention are not limited thereto. As depicted, the following layersand corresponding functions are provided:

Hardware and software layer 60 includes hardware and softwarecomponents. Examples of hardware components include: mainframes 61; RISC(Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture based servers 62;servers 63; blade servers 64; storage devices 65; and networks andnetworking components 66. In some embodiments, software componentsinclude network application server software 67 and database software 68.

Virtualization layer 70 provides an abstraction layer from which thefollowing examples of virtual entities may be provided: virtual servers71; virtual storage 72; virtual networks 73, including virtual privatenetworks; virtual applications and operating systems 74; and virtualclients 75.

In one example, management layer 80 may provide the functions describedbelow. Resource provisioning 81 provides dynamic procurement ofcomputing resources and other resources that are utilized to performtasks within the cloud computing environment. Metering and Pricing 82provide cost tracking as resources are utilized within the cloudcomputing environment, and billing or invoicing for consumption of theseresources. In one example, these resources may comprise applicationsoftware licenses. Security provides identity verification for cloudconsumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources.User portal 83 provides access to the cloud computing environment forconsumers and system administrators. Service level management 84provides cloud computing resource allocation and management such thatrequired service levels are met. Service Level Agreement (SLA) planningand fulfillment 85 provide pre-arrangement for, and procurement of,cloud computing resources for which a future requirement is anticipatedin accordance with an SLA.

Workloads layer 90 provides examples of functionality for which thecloud computing environment may be utilized. Examples of workloads andfunctions which may be provided from this layer include: mapping andnavigation 91; software development and lifecycle management 92; virtualclassroom education delivery 93; data analytics processing 94;transaction processing 95; and selective seat access processing 96,which performs one or more functions described for the presentinvention.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the presentinvention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” areintended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearlyindicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms“comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification,specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations,elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence oraddition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations,elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. Thedescription of various embodiments of the present invention has beenpresented for purposes of illustration and description, but is notintended to be exhaustive or limited to the present invention in theform disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope andspirit of the present invention. The embodiment was chosen and describedin order to best explain the principles of the present invention and thepractical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the artto understand the present invention for various embodiments with variousmodifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Any methods described in the present disclosure may be implementedthrough the use of a VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) programand a VHDL chip. VHDL is an exemplary design-entry language for FieldProgrammable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Application Specific IntegratedCircuits (ASICs), and other similar electronic devices. Thus, anysoftware-implemented method described herein may be emulated by ahardware-based VHDL program, which is then applied to a VHDL chip, suchas a FPGA.

Having thus described embodiments of the present invention of thepresent application in detail and by reference to illustrativeembodiments thereof, it will be apparent that modifications andvariations are possible without departing from the scope of the presentinvention defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: retrieving, by one or moreprocessors, a user profile of a user that is requesting a first seat ina venue, wherein the first seat is reserved for the user; receiving, byone or more processors, positioning signal readings indicating areal-time location of the user, wherein the positioning signal readingsare real-time sensor readings that describe a current physical locationof the user within the venue relative to a physical location of thefirst seat in the venue; receiving, by one or more processors, biometricsensor readings for the user, wherein the biometric sensor readings arereal-time sensor readings that describe a condition that limits movementabilities of the user; in response to receiving the biometric sensorreadings that describe the condition that limits the movement abilitiesof the user, identifying, by one or more processors, an unoccupiedsecond seat at the venue that is available and is closer to the userthan the first seat; and in response to identifying the available andcloser unoccupied second seat, activating a visual indicator on theunoccupied second seat.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:transmitting, by one or more processors, a signal to anelectromechanical locking mechanism to unlock a folding cushion on theunoccupied second seat.
 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: inresponse to a positioning signal indicating that the user is within apredetermined proximity of the unoccupied second seat, transmitting, byone or more processors, the signal to the electromechanical lockingmechanism to unlock the folding cushion on the unoccupied second seat;and unlocking the folding cushion on the unoccupied second seat by theelectromechanical locking mechanism.
 4. The method of claim 2, furthercomprising: in response to a positioning signal indicating that the useris outside of a predetermined proximity of the unoccupied second seat,blocking, by one or more processors, transmission of the signal to theelectromechanical locking mechanism that would have unlocked the foldingcushion on the unoccupied second seat.
 5. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: transmitting, by one or more processors, directions to theuser, wherein the directions provide a turn-by-turn set of instructionsto direct the user from a current location of the user to a location ofthe unoccupied second seat.
 6. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: transmitting, by one or more processors, a digital map tothe user, wherein the digital map depicts a location of the unoccupiedsecond seat relative to a current location of the user.
 7. A computerprogram product comprising one or more computer readable storagemediums, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one ormore computer readable storage mediums, the stored program instructionscomprising: program instructions to retrieve a user profile of a userwho is requesting a first seat in a venue, wherein the first seat isreserved for the user; program instructions to receive positioningsignal readings indicating a real-time location of the user, wherein thepositioning signal readings are real-time sensor readings that describea current physical location of the user within the venue relative to aphysical location of the first seat in the venue; program instructionsto receive biometric sensor readings for the user, wherein the biometricsensor readings are real-time sensor readings that describe a conditionthat limits movement abilities of the user; program instructions to, inresponse to receiving the biometric sensor readings that describe thecondition that limits the movement abilities of the user, identify anunoccupied second seat at the venue that is available and is closer tothe user than the first seat; and program instructions to, in responseto identifying the available and closer unoccupied second seat, activatea visual indicator on the unoccupied second seat.
 8. The computerprogram product of claim 7, further comprising: program instructions totransmit a signal to an electromechanical locking mechanism to unlock afolding cushion on the unoccupied second seat.
 9. The computer programproduct of claim 8, further comprising: program instructions to, inresponse to a positioning signal indicating that the user is within apredetermined proximity of the unoccupied second seat, transmit thesignal to the electromechanical locking mechanism to unlock the foldingcushion on the unoccupied second seat; and unlocking the folding cushionon the unoccupied second seat by the electromechanical lockingmechanism.
 10. The computer program product of claim 8, furthercomprising: program instructions to, in response to a positioning signalindicating that the user is outside of a predetermined proximity of theunoccupied second seat, block transmission of the signal to theelectromechanical locking mechanism that would have unlocked the foldingcushion on the unoccupied second seat.
 11. The computer program productof claim 7, further comprising: program instructions to transmitdirections to the user, wherein the directions provide a turn-by-turnset of instructions to direct the user from a current location of theuser to a location of the unoccupied second seat.
 12. The computerprogram product of claim 7, further comprising: program instructions totransmit a digital map to the user, wherein the digital map depicts alocation of the unoccupied second seat relative to a current location ofthe user.
 13. A computer system comprising one or more processors, oneor more computer readable memories, and one or more computer readablestorage mediums, and program instructions stored on at least one of theone or more computer readable storage mediums for execution by at leastone of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or morecomputer readable memories, the stored program instructions comprising:program instructions to retrieve a user profile of a user who isrequesting a first seat in a venue, wherein the first seat is reservedfor the user; program instructions to receive positioning signalreadings indicating a real-time location of the user, wherein thepositioning signal readings are real-time sensor readings that describea current physical location of the user within the venue relative to aphysical location of the first seat in the venue; program instructionsto receive biometric sensor readings for the user, wherein the biometricsensor readings are real-time sensor readings that describe a conditionthat limits movement abilities of the user; program instructions to, inresponse to receiving the biometric sensor readings that describe thecondition that limits the movement abilities of the user, identify anunoccupied second seat at the venue that is available and is closer tothe user than the first seat; and program instructions to, in responseto identifying the available and closer unoccupied second seat, activatea visual indicator on the unoccupied second seat.
 14. The computersystem of claim 13, further comprising: program instructions to transmita signal to an electromechanical locking mechanism to unlock a foldingcushion on the unoccupied second seat.
 15. The computer system of claim14, further comprising: program instructions to, in response to apositioning signal indicating that the user is within a predeterminedproximity of the unoccupied second seat, transmit the signal to theelectromechanical locking mechanism to unlock the folding cushion on theunoccupied second seat; and unlocking the folding cushion on theunoccupied second seat by the electromechanical locking mechanism. 16.The computer system of claim 14, further comprising: programinstructions to, in response to a positioning signal indicating that theuser is outside of a predetermined proximity of the unoccupied secondseat, block transmission of the signal to the electromechanical lockingmechanism that would have unlocked the folding cushion on the unoccupiedsecond seat.
 17. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising:program instructions to transmit directions to the user, wherein thedirections provide a turn-by-turn set of instructions to direct the userfrom a current location of the user to a location of the unoccupiedsecond seat.